"If you introduce equal protection [against assault] there is a corresponding reduction in the physical abuse of children," he said.

Culture change

He added: "People say a smack can protect a child from danger, but if you had an older person with dementia who was putting themselves in danger, because they didn't know better, would the first thing you think of be to hit them, to get that across?

"Of course not. That just wouldn't be acceptable."

He added that he believed a new law could lead to culture change - similar to that experienced following the ban on smoking in public places.

"I think we will end up with parents saying 'why on earth did we tolerate this for so long?'," he said.

A Scottish government spokesman said: "Our child protection improvement programme will ensure every child in Scotland at risk of harm or abuse receives the best possible support and protection.

"We do not support physical punishment and we do not consider it effective.

"We do not, however, support a ban as we do not think that would be appropriate and effective."

He highlighted that an independently chaired review of the child protection system recently found it generally worked well to protect children or young people at risk of harm or who have been harmed and that the government accepted all the recommendations of the review.